Elastic garment with stretch limiting means



NOV. 14, 1933. 5 D KQPS ELASTIC GARMENT WITH STRETCH LIMITING MEANS Filed June 20, 1932 HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 14, 1933 PATENT OFFICE ELASTIC GARMENT WITH STRETCH LlltflTIN G MEANS Stanley D. Kops, New York, N. Y., minor to Kops Brothers, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 20, 1932. Serial 80. 618,170

6 Claims.

This invention relates to foundation garments such as corsets, girdles, and the like, and more particularly to garments of which the whole or a portion is made of two-way elastic, material. It

has been found that, in the use of such garments, there is a tendency for certain portions of the garment to be stretched more than others, with the frequent result that these portions lose part of their elasticity, and take on a permanent set or bulge, thus destroying the lines of the garment. The object of the present invention is to provide means for limiting the extent of stretch permitted to the aforesaid portions of the garment, thereby preventing the stretching of such portions to such an extent as to lose their elasticity. This stretch limiting means at the same time serves to produce a desired flattening effect upon the portion of the body adjacent such means. It is particularly advantageous in this respect when applied over the buttocks.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of a garmentof the type described, embodying the present invention, in place upon a wearer; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same garment, with a portion of the front panel broken away to better illustrate my invention; and Fig. 3 is a section through the back portion of the garment along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

The garment illustrated in the drawing is a girdle having front panel 1 and back panel 2 of elastic material, of either knit or woven character, stretchable vertically as well as horizontally. Side panels 3 and 4 may be of inelastic material, or of material stretchable in one direction only, vertically for example, or of material similar to that of panels 1 and 2. Each panel is joined to the adjacent panels by stitching, as at 5, and, if desired, a portion of one of the seams so formed may be laced, instead of stitched, as at 6, in order to facilitate the donning and removal of the garment.

In garments of the type described it has been found that, due to the bending movements of the wearer, as in assuming a sitting position, the central portion of the panel 2 may be stretched to such an extentas to assume the permanent set or bulge previously mentioned. To avoid this condition, and also to produce a flattening of the buttocks, I provide a series of strips 7, which may be of nonelastic material or of material which is somewhat elastic but less so than the material of panel 2. The strips 7 are preferably arranged in the criss-cross fashion illustrated, although any suitable arrangement might be used; for example, four such strips might be arranged in the form of a square or three strips might be arranged to enclose a triangle. It is important merely that they should limit the amount of stretch of the material of panel2 in all directions.

.The strips 7 are attached, at their ends, to the material of the panel 2, by stitching as at 8. In attaching the strips to the panel 2, sufficient slack is provided in the strips 7 to permit the adjacent portion of panel 2 to stretch to the desired extent. In some cases it may be desirable to use a circular or square or similar fiat piece of material in place of the strips 7, attaching it to the panel 2 by stitching all or a portion of its edges thereto, allowing preferably, a small amount of slack to permit a limited stretch. Such material might be inelastic, or elastic, but less so than the material of the panel 2. In some cases it may be found desirable to substantially 7 prevent stretching of a limited portion of a panel of a garment and in that case the flat piece of inelastic material or the series of tapes may be applied without any slack. A very definite flattening of the figure may be created in this way.

Other elastic portions of the garment may be similarly treated, if such portions are found to have a tendency to be over-stretched in use or if a similar flattening of the body is desired adjacent these portions.

The terms and expressions employed in the foregoing specification are descriptive only, and I do not desire to be limited to the particular embodiment described and illustrated, since I recognize that many modifications of the same may be made without departing from the scope of my invention.

' What I claim is:

1. In a foundation garment, two-way elastic portion arranged over a protruding part of the body of the wearer, a plurality of strips associated with said portion, said strips being of material less elastic than said elastic portion, said strips being arranged in angular relation to each other and being attached to said elastic portion so as to be slack whenever said portion is stretched less than a certain predetermined extent, the strips limiting the stretch of said portion in all directions.

2. In a foundation garment, an elastic portion capable of stretching vertically and horizontally arranged over a protruding part of the body of the wearer, and a plurality of strips attached to said elastic portion, said strips being of material less elastic than said elastic portion, said no strips being arranged in angular relation to each other to permit stretching of said elastic portion in any direction but only to a predetermined extent.

3. In a foundation garment an elastic portion capable of stretching longitudinally and transversely of the garment arranged over a protruding part of the body of the wearer, and a plurality of tapes arranged in crirs-cross relation over said elastic portion and adapted to limit the stretch of said portion both longitudinally and transversely.

4. In a foundation garment an elastic portion capable of stretching simultaneously both longitudinally and transversely of the garment arranged over a protruding part of the body of the wearer, and fabric means secured to said garment over said elastic portion, said means being secured to said portion at a series of points spaced in two dimensions and arranged to limit the stretching thereof longitudinally and transversely, said means being incapable of stretching to the full extent to which said portion may be stretched.

5. In a foundation garment having a two-way elastic back section extending over the buttocks, a plurality of tapes fastened to said elastic section in angled relation at a point over the buttocks so that the stretch is checked over the high point of the buttocks of the wearer.

6. In a foundation garment having a twoway elastic back section extending over the buttocks, a plurality of non-elastic tapes converging at substantially their centers, and so attached to said elastic section that a portion thereof over the buttocks is made non-elastic after a predetermined, limited stretch, said portion being of oval shape.

STANLEY D. KOPS. 

